Chance meeting
by ragsweas
Summary: Harry was waiting for Hermione one fine day in August when he met a woman. She was...familiar and Harry was more than happy to meet her.


**Just a one-shot inspired by a post on Tumblr.**

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It was that brilliant summer when Harry did not have to worry about the Dursleys. He roamed in the Diagn Alley, window shopping, eating ice cream and just loitering around. After the war, things had changed of course, but there was always scope for a better world. Diagon Alley was bursting with activity. Just a month before the new term started at Hogwarts-a Voldemort free, new term.

Harry was sitting on one of the benches outside Flourish and Botts. Hermione was going back to Hogwarts and she wanted to meet him once before she left.

If he was being true to himself, Harry had no idea how he would survive without Hermione for one whole year. Ron was...well, Ron. He would always be by his side and help him, but Hermione was the one who had grounded him. He wondered what the next year would entail-with his Auror training and taking care of Teddy and dropping at the Weasleys and getting his own apartment-one that he would share with Ron, of course.

"Harold! Wait!"

Harry watched in amusement as a young boy, no more than 11, darted inside the bookshop. A woman, probably the boy's mother, ran after him, stopping once he was inside and struggled to catch her breath. She couldn't have been older than 35, with that raven hair, wrinkle-free skin and perfectly shaped nose.

"Here," Harry immediately stood up, giving the woman his seat, "You need it more than I do."

"Thank you," she said, without looking at him, "I don't know what has gotten into this boy. He usually listens to me!"

Harry grinned. "Maybe the excitement to go to Hogwarts?"

The woman nodded, looking inside the shop. "Probably. He has always been enthralled by the magic system. Now that he is actually going to go I believe-Oh!"

Harry watched as the woman stared at him, her eyes widened and a small smile gracing her lips. "Harry Potter."

Internally, Harry deflated. Even before the war, he was famous, but his recognition grew overnight after the Batlle of Hogwarts. Now practically everyone knew him. It wasn't bad per say-the recognition had its perks and Harry enjoyed using it to his benefit sometimes. But there were moments when he just wanted to be another normal person, just having a random conversation with a random stranger on a random topic without bringing up words like 'War', 'Saviour' and 'Voldemort' or in others' case, 'You-know-who'.

Externally, Harry continued to smile. "Yes, that is me. Although, I do not know your name Ms?"

"Mary," the woman said, still looking at Harry, "Mary MacDonald."

The name sounded familiar to Harry, having heard it somewhere recently-however, he could not point his finger on when and where. Harry merely extended his hand and the older woman took it, shaking it gladly.

It would come any moment now. Thank you for saving the world, you are our saviour, we are so grateful to you, you look like your father...

"You are just like your mother."

That...Harry was not expecting. He stared at the woman as she finally let go of his hand and smiled at him.

"My mother?" Harry croaked. Harry had no stories of his mother-well, except the one from Snape's memories but those did not really count. Even his father's life was based on tidbits that Remus or Sirius had let slip.

"Yes," Mary said, nodding her head. "You are definitely Lily Evans' son."

Harry gawked. "I was usually told I look like my father but I have my mother's eyes."

To his utmost surprise, Mary MacDonald laughed. "Well, of course, you look like Potter. Well, I am sorry for saying your surname like that but Potter, James that is, he and I were not really good friends."

"And you were friends with my mother?" Harry asked, slowly sitting down on the other side of the bench.

"Well, we spent seven years together in a dorm," Mary said, her eyes looking far away, "We weren't best friends but our hate for Potter made us pretty close-until Potter decided to turn a new leaf."

Harry blushed at the reminder. "Yes, I heard that my father could be...quite a bully."

Mary chuckled, looking at Harry. "Not a bully, unless it was directed towards Slytherin. More like a privileged boy with no sense of consent and of where pranking and bullying merged."

Harry nodded. "Sorry for whatever my father did to you."

"Don't be!" Mary shook her head, "Lily made him apologize on their wedding and as I said, you are more like Lily than James."

Harry frowned. "How?"

"There," she pointed her finger at him, "That curiosity? Totally Lily. She could have been a Ravenclaw but too much courage in that woman. And the way you talk, the way you carry yourself, that is so Lily."

Harry smiled to himself. He never really knew his parents and this was so...real.

"I really do wonder sometimes what made Lily agree to date Potter, but even he had turned a new leaf in our sixth year, suddenly being very responsible," Mary said, smiling to herself. She turned to look inside before a strained laugh.

Harry looked up and turned Mary's gaze inside the shop, where young Harold seemed to carry a load of books. "I better go before he decides to buy the whole shop," Mary muttered, before standing up.

Harry stood up as well. Mary turned and gave him a warm smile. "It was very nice meeting you Harry."

"Likewise," Harry said. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to this woman yet. "I am sorry if I am being too forward, but could we maybe meet for butterbeer? I would really like to know you."

Mary laughed. "More like you would like to know about your parents." At Harry's expression, she hurriedly added, "Anytime Harry. I will send you an owl, which I believe would reach you. Take care."

With one last smile, she went inside the shop, leaving Harry full of new energy.

Maybe, he still had a chance to know the enigma that were his parents.

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 **Worth a review?**


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